1954

A very unique year for General Motors trucks. This was a split year! Two different body styles were displayed at different times at the dealerships. They are referred to as the 1955 First and 1955 Second Series. Why did this happen? Many have said: It is easy, Follow the Money! With limited changes in Chevrolet cars since 1949, it was...

WOW! Look what you can do with a 1954 Chevy ¾ ton. How impressive. It can stand right alongside of all the short beds and receive equal or more attention.Terry Millsap of Independence, Missouri bought this pickup in 1999 with the intension of a major restoration. With the encouragement of Jerry Willis, a 1953 GMC owner near his home, the...

The Korean War has ended and copper used in quality chrome plating is now readily available at an acceptable price to commercial buyers. General Motors loses no time introducing a deluxe pickup in both their Chevrolet and GMC lines. Quality chrome plating was required for this project and was now in stock. Other metals have also dropped in price including...

The full rear quarter panels for the 1947-55 Chevy/GMC Suburban were made all the same at the metal stamping manufacturer.  To save money these panels were not made different if the Suburban was to have the double doors or the tailgate style opening in the rear. Thus, when the Suburban was provided with a lift and tailgate combination the 4...

Owner:  Pat Jackson It’s mid 1954 and there is a growing segment of the US that for the first time has some disposable income. This was part of a post Korean War boom that had never been seen before. General Motors recognized this. More automotive options that were available were selling well! Thus, a relative inexpensive gamble was made by...

What a unique invention. When you have a 1947 through 1959 single rear wheel 3/4 or 1 ton GM truck and need more pulling power, this is the answer. American ingenuity at its best! This new steel center hub extension includes eight long bolts to reach the original wheel studs. This holds the factory wheel in place and then provides...

Article courtesy of Rob English (rob@oldgmctrucks.com) The issue of multiple piece rims and safety comes up frequently. There seems to be a quick rush to judgment about any rim that has more than one piece, and while certain types of multiple piece rims have indeed been outlawed and are no longer made, many others are not only still in service...

This was one of the most unique years for Chevrolet trucks. The Korean War and some resulting material shortages were now history. The economy was growing and the average worker brought home more wages than ever before. Sales of luxury options on automobiles were showing definite increases. To capitalize on this trend for transportation improvements, GM was fast working on...

Tech Tip from Ron Hansen Wakefield, Massachusetts � Alignment Solution for Installing a Late Model Rear End in a 1947-1954 Pick Up On the original rear end, the spring centerbolt is offset to the front of the spring by 2"to 3". If you install a modern rear end (with an open driveshaft) and retain the original springs, the wheels will...

To keep the 1947-1955 GM trucks base price low, their 6 volt cigarette lighter was a dealer accessory. The vehicle always came from the factory with a round blank out plug at the lower center of the dash.

In contrast to 1954-1955 Chevrolet trucks, the same year GMC had a position in the dash for an optional gauge. It was here that larger GMC's had a tachometer or vacuum gauge installed. The 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton GMC's usually did not require these engine gauges and a blank-out plate is normally found there. An option here in these smaller trucks is a spring wind clock. It was produced by General Motors and installed at their GMC dealerships.

With the introduction of the Advance Design Cab in 1947, a new dealer installed heater also became available. When used together this new body was referred to as The Cab That Breathes.

By the mid 1950's extra income in the U.S. was creating an increased demand for accessories on both cars and trucks. To take advantage of this, the Chevrolet Truck Division introduced one item as a first. It would not appear again on Chevrolet trucks until the mid 1970's.

  Between 1954-1962, Chevrolet produced their famous full oil pressure 235 cubic inch six cylinder in trucks and it soon proved to be one of the greats among engines. However, at the same time a lesser known "big brother" to this base engine was being used. This was the quality built 261 cubic inch six cylinder! The 261 was available...

  By 1954, the Korean War shortages were history. More trim and chrome plating began to show up in trucks and cars. The Chevrolet and GMC truck divisions both introduced a deluxe model for their pickups during mid-year 1954. Hopes were to appeal to the emerging buyers with more disposable income. The deluxe model of these two trucks shared most...

It's 1954 and the Korean War is now history. The wholesale price of non-ferrous metal such as chrome, stainless steel, nickel and copper are dropping. American have more disposable income and are beginning to ask for deluxe accessories on their trucks instead of just for the family sedan. Of the many accessories introduced in 1954, the full wheel cover was...

  When looking closely at the black 1954 Chevrolet speedometer face, a small 1/8 inch diameter round hole will be noticed at the top and bottom. Owners of 1954 trucks will always be acquainted with the top hole. This emits red light to notify the driver that the high beams are on. Most are not even aware of the existence...

From 1941 through 1953 the GM pickup bed sides are the same, however, a major design change began in 1954. This new bed side design with very few modifications continued to the end of the true step beds in 1987. The unique feature of only the 1954 through 1955 mid series bed sides is the flowing grooves that fit the...

In 1954, GM introduced their new deeper improved stepbed. With this design the optional rear bumper required the license to be moved to the center. This eliminated clearance problems between the bumper and the left side mounted license plate.

In upgrading the Advance Design 1947-1953 cab for 1954, GM engineers created a totally different dash assembly. It required that the radio be much smaller. With better electronic technology and no push buttons, the new 6 volt radio could be placed into the smaller space. They even placed a cardboard sheet above the '54 radio to protect it from settling...

All 1954-1955 Chevrolet/GMC trucks came from the factory with a blank-out plate to cover where the radio would be installed. As this accessory was dealer installed the plate could be removed (probably thrown away) and the new radio added.   This blank-out plate and its two special clips has become very rare in recent years. They are not being reproduced...

  As more restorers become interested in the 1954-1955 Chevrolet truck, the demand for the correct factory accessories has increased demand. Trucks during these early years were used mostly for work and many owners ordered no accessories. Even the heater was often added later. Though locating a restored or restorable factory radio is a difficult task, there is another source...

Our 54 Chevy truck was won in a raffle in July, 1997. We were en-route to Cherokee, N.C. and saw a sign for a car show in Maggie Valley. So we went to the car show. Linda saw this truck and bought two tickets. They had one more show to attend and would announce the winner in August.

A few months after the introduction of their 1954 trucks, GM announced a new model with more deluxe features. Korean was shortages were over and the average American had more disposable income. Buyers were already ordering the many options on automobiles, so General Motors knew at least a small market existed for a well appointed pickup truck.

When I started this truck in 2000 the first thing I did was send for a Jim Carter catalog, after seeing the ad in Hemmings. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the truck when I started. This was the second 1954. The first one had been wrecked and had a pieced together frame so it became a parts truck.

I bought this very clean truck from a fellow in Spring, Texas who told me he had it in his garage for nine years. He tinkered with it until he got bored and it started taking up space. He said he bought it from a man in Alvin, Texas.

I hope this truck meets your approval. It is a 1954 model that is totally original. I know these trucks did not have white walls on them when they came out of the factory, but these are the original brand (B.F. Goodrich). This is actually my second 1954 Chevy pickup.

This month, a 1954 1/2 ton Chevrolet truck is featured.This truck, owned and restored by Rudy Parmenter, is a life goal. Rudy says, “My 54 was bought from a Texas owner and we are the second owners. The truck was dismantled and a ground-up restoration was completed in several years to restore it to its original condition back in 1954”.

I have a 1954 Chevy Pick-Up Truck which I bought and restored in Brazil, using a lot of parts I imported there, from Jim Carter Antique Truck Parts. This was about 5 years ago. Today this truck is in Miami, where I have moved from Brazil. It is my everyday car and everybody loves it.